At Collins Lake, soft plastics win for numbers and trolling flies win for trophies. Cal Kellogg's number one bait is a pink Trix Worm rigged naked with a Trigger Disc, trolled 1.8 to 2.2 mph with no dodgers. For big fish, pull a Metal Head fly, the bait behind two trout over 13 pounds here. Fish the top 15 feet, not the deep marks. When trolling is tough, still fish green garlic PowerBait near shore.
What is the best bait for Collins Lake trout?
Soft plastics. Cal's number one for numbers is a pink Trix Worm rigged naked with a Trigger Disc and no blades, at 1.8 to 2.2 mph. Back it up with Trix Minnows and grubs in the same rig. Collins forage is threadfin shad, so a slim, natural bait matches it.
How do I catch big trout at Collins Lake?
Trolling flies, especially the Metal Head. About 80 percent of Cal's fish over six pounds come on flies, and his two biggest at Collins, 13 pounds and 12.6 pounds, both did. Top colors are pink and white, black, black and green, and orange, trolled 1.8 to 3 mph.
How deep should I troll at Collins Lake?
The top 15 feet, sometimes the top 5. The heavy marks you see down at 35 to 50 feet are usually inactive fish that will not bite. Trout that move up into the top of the column are the biters. Run a leadcore rod to fish that zone.
Why use leadcore over a downrigger at Collins?
Head to head, leadcore out fishes the downrigger there. One color of leadcore gets you about 5 feet at 2 mph, two colors 10 feet, three colors 15 feet. Run one line on top, one at 5, and one at 10 to cover the productive water.
What is the number one condition for Collins Lake?
Wind. When the breeze blows, the bite can be epic, especially in the backs of muddy bays. If it is glassy, be patient. If the forecast shows wind by 11, have your coffee and do not rush out, because the best fishing comes when it starts blowing.
How do I rig a soft plastic for Collins?
Naked, with an action disc about three eighths of an inch ahead of a straight bait and the hook worked back near the tail. Two bobber stops lock the disc so it will not slide when you bump the throttle. The slow speed generates the action that draws the strike.
What catches Collins trout when trolling is slow?
Green garlic PowerBait, still fished near shore. Keep it in 10 feet of water or less on an 18 inch leader, and when casting from the bank, cast toward the shore, not past the fish. In cool water the trout come right up on the bank.
Do spoons and rapalas work at Collins?
They run a distant third. Pink and chrome Junior Trigger Spoons and full size trigger spoons work when the fish are active and willing to chase. Minnow plugs can be money in the dead of winter. Run the spoons clean.
Watch the technique
Trolling collins lake for trout FAQ
No less than 30,000 pounds between fall and spring, with some fish over 12 pounds. The lake holds Lassen strain and hatchery rainbows plus lightning trout, all bright red meated and great eating.
Threadfin shad, with immature crappie and bluegill as a secondary forage. Once the planted trout key on shad, match a slim shad profile and they get easier to catch.
Sometimes translucent pink, sometimes bubblegum pink. Let the fish show a preference, then most of them will be dialed into that color.
In the backs of coves and bays over muddy, sloping banks in fairly shallow water. Cal caught a 13 pound fish on a fly in about 8 feet of water in a shallow bay.
Yes. A small mini willow leaf dodger in Ray Gay with a threaded nightcrawler about 24 inches back is a strong big fish rig. The blade is the business card that pulls fish in to the worm.
Very good with green garlic PowerBait. Keep it shallow and near the bank, give each spot about 30 minutes, then move 50 to 100 yards and try again.
Deep fish there are almost always inactive and will not bite. Target the top 15 feet, where the fish that have moved up are ready to feed.
Good crappie, solid bass, and some monster channel catfish over 20 pounds.
